


To be better now

by RowanRaven



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Family Feels, Gen, Love is good for the soul, Siblings, everyone is trying their best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-01-30 20:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21434569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanRaven/pseuds/RowanRaven
Summary: Finding family is always a journey, especially for vessels of Hallownest. Strange little bugs find their own strange little families.If only the story could end there, but the kingdom is threatened by dreaming sickness, and the king has the perfect, flawless plan.It will not fail. It will succeed.Hallownest will last eternal.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

The vessels held their breath. They held each other hand so tight that their little fingers were numb.  
The silver bugs were out of sight, but not out of mind. The vessels knew that even the littlest vibration of their steps would call them back. The older sibling with the three-pronged horns slowly dripped void onto the floor. They got injured by the last swarm, as they weren’t quick enough unlike their hatch-sibling.

They slowly exhaled. Their tummies were rumbling, the unfamiliar emptiness making their knees weak and their thoughts fuzzy.

They rested on a little alcove, above the rumbling earth. They held their injured arm close to their body. 

They waited a little longer. Their hatch-sibling watched patiently. They wielded a broken mandible of a huge bug, one that made the earth shake with their steps. They used the makeshift weapon as a way of harvesting soul, so that little by little they could heal their elder sibling. They were reckless and itching to go, ready to get out of this god-forgotten kingdom.

They knew that until they could see the pale Light that Hurts they would not be safe. They gripped the broken mandible harder. They would protect their hatch sibling. They needed to stick together, because together was better than alone.  
They would need to rest soon, but the distant screeching and the unsteadiness of the ground made them too uneasy to truly sleep.

They forged on ahead. They had to backtrack too many times to count. One step forward two steps back. The darkness was oppressive in the tight tunnels, and they had to let go of their sibling more than once. The dark here was different to the darkness they were born from. That darkness welcomed them like an embrace, but it was deathly quiet. This darkness was full of life, chittering and rumbling, but it had teeth that bit and hurt and scratched at their soft shell. 

The ground was dusty and it crumbled too easy. It made their footing unsteady, and their progress slow.  
They were walking towards a dim light, following their instincts to find a place to rest, when the ground started shaking. The younger sibling was walking ahead and managed to jump to safer ground, and turned to extend their arm towards their companion. But they were too slow. Their hurt arm put them off balance, and before they could reach safety, the ground disappeared. A yawning pit of spikes rushed towards them, and they could still see their sibling reaching, desperate for them. A cruel light glinted off the spikes before they got covered in dark void-liquid.  
They stared upwards. The light that they were following looked so, so far away… unreachable.

They came to themselves when a painful lurch wracked their body. Their little sibling was pulling them away from the ledge. How did they get there? They turned their face towards their sibling.

The little one gently put them to lean to a wall. They made a few gestures: “stay, rest” and put their cloak over their sibling’s prone body.  
Darkness overtook them. The woke multiple times, when their sibling touched them and healed their broken body little by little using soul. 

The vessel was not sure how many trips it took for their sibling to heal them completely, nor how long they were unconscious, but when they were well enough to stand, their sibling hugged them for hours. Even when they left the little hidey-hole the siblings did not let each other’s hand go.

* * *

They were so lost. The air was full of fizzing and popping bubbles, thick with mist and cold in their throat. It was quiet, with tiny, soft jellies floating above their head. They carefully stepped around the creatures, avoiding touch. They got signed by the bubbling pools, the wound still uncomfortable and pulled tight. The walls around them were dripping and shining with moisture, but there were no bugs in sight.  
The little vessel was all alone. They had their hatch-sibling when they left the Birthplace, but the sibling was quick to wander, and quick to get lost. They had no idea where to even look for them, but they had less and less hope to find them as the days have passed by.  
They spent their half-awake nights curled up, but the moisture in the air chilled them crough the flimsy cape they have worn.  
The jellies around were soft and squishy like them, but they were careful to bother them too much. They had enough of the wild bugs attacking them, and the plants stinging them, already.  
They had no plans on where to go, only away. The plants provided them with water to drink, and the leaves were not too bitter to crunch on if they felt the need to.  
They still longed to the soft comfort of the Birthplace, but this was almost as good. When the air was still, and the noises were hushed in this moist, bubbly space, they curled up under their cloak, and pretended that they were still at home with their siblings. It almost worked.  
They avoided the roads. Whenever they could, they climbed up higher, up and away from the Light that Hurts.

They dropped down a ledge. The tunnel they took was well maintained, obviously in use. The lanterns were dimmed, showing them that it was the time when most bugs would sleep. Their landing was a bit hard, it jarred their shell a bit too much. They chewed on a mouthful of leaves thoughtfully.  
They doubted that they could climb back up, only because the walls were too smooth, and wet. They looked ahead, and in the distance they saw a large building. It shone with a strange green light, so out of place in the blues of the caverns.  
The vessel slowly brought their hand up to their mouth, and without thinking, started chewing on their hands. They felt curious. The oddly soft jellies had to have been coming from somewhere… They were so placid and gentle. The vessel took some hesitant steps towards the entrance of the building. It wouldn’t hurt to go through… Just to take a peek. They rushed through the places they went to, but this place… It was gentler than the other areas they went to, so maybe… It wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

They slowly turned towards the arched gate, and took a few steps inside.

* * *

The siblings’ way took them as high as they could go. They wanted to get out of this cursed kingdom, to sleep without the fear of being found. The ringing of pickaxes and the rumble of machines chased them through strange crystals. The caverns were dark, and full of energy. It sizzled on their shells, purple light glinting off of white bone.

They went up high, where the wind tore against their cloak, holding each other’s hand, looking out into the distance. As small village, barely a little pinprick of light under the mist fascinated them. They both sat on the top of the ledge, a terrifying drop under their feet. The village woke and they spied the bustling of bugs towing large shell-carts along. The bugs went down a large gate, which looked fiercely guarded.  
The shell carts were full of food. They could smell it cooking, the wind bringing up delicious smells all the way into their noses.

The younger sibling pointed downwards. If they wanted to leave this kingdom, they would need to go down from the top of this mountain. The other one nodded thoughtfully. They were considering a route which would allow them to leave undetected.

The siblings descended from the peak. They stuck to the shadows, carefully avoiding the numerous mining bugs. 

“Hey!” The vessels froze. A bug directed their headlamp on them “You can’t be here! It’s dangerous! I’ll get the guards to take you out!” The vessels glanced around wildly. They needed to run before the guards got there.  
“No!” Yelled the bug. “Don’t go! Hey!” The siblings ran towards a darkened tunnel. They could shake them off there. Hide in the welcoming darkness.

The noise quieted as they made their way carefully along a series of platforms. They could still hear the miner’s shouts and the clang of the armour of the guards. They needed to get away. If they get caught, the Light will kill them both.

Eventually they ran out of road to follow. Their momentum almost carried them over the ledge, but they managed to stop just in time. They looked around hurriedly. If there was another path… Something safer than braving the yawning pit in front of them.

There was something on the other side of the chasm.  
They couldn’t be found.  
They could make that jump… Maybe. For sure….  
There was no way but forward…

The siblings grabbed each other’s hand and took a running jump.  
The ledge barely grazed their fingertips, and however much they stretched, they couldn’t reach it. 

They held onto each other tightly, huddling closer. The fall felt like it lasted an age, their bodies almost weightless. The older vessel held their hatch sibling closer to them. They needed to survive. To protect.

It just made the landing worse. Hard, unforgiving ground crunched their little bodies against each other. Void flew everywhere.  
The solemn silence of the graveyard only got broken by a keening. A primal, animal sound broke free from their chest, ascending their physical form. A sibling lay prone and twisted, halfway down on a platform. The other sibling, with three twisting horns felt like they broke every bone in their body. They could see half of the mask of their sibling, lying in a pool of void.  
Their screams echoed through the grounds. Big,fat, viscous dark tears flowed down on their shell. They tried to reach out to their sibling, but the pain in their body made moving impossible.

It felt like forever, waiting for them to join their older sibling in oblivion...

A long, green cloak was placed on their head, blocking the terrible sight from them. Two pairs of arms lifted them, carefully, but even that small movement tore another shriek from them. They could see their arm from a gap in the gap.  
It was still where they fell...  
Their arm was… Their arm was... 

They schreeced from pain, straight from their being.

“ Don’t look little one… Shh, shh… Don’t look.”

They were gently shushed, until the darkness claimed them, and they went limp in the arms of the strange bug.

It was maybe only a blink of an eye, or maybe an eternity before they woke. Their missing arm still pained them, and they looked around to see their sibling. For a horrible moment hope beat in their chest, like a thousand lumafly, when they saw a movement from the corner of their eyes. It was a moth, with fuzzy antennae, and big, luminous, purple eyes.

“Aah… I see that you are awake. You should thank the heavens that you are able to do that. You took such a nasty fall, dear.” The vessel looked around. The room was small, with torn tapestry holding back the howling wind. They gestured, along themselves, a bit slow and clumsy. 

“Yes, yes you had a big fall. Thankfully Thistlewind was able to get you here safely.” The vessel shook their head. The gestured again, and made a show of looking around.  
Hope was a beast chewing them up from the inside-out, but if they survived, then maybe…  
The moth shuffled closer, and draped their fuzzy cloak around their shaking shoulders.  
“No, no little one. Your companion couldn’t be saved. They are now resting peacefully.”

The vessel shook, and buried their face in their arms. Their sibling pair, their hatchmate; gone, chewed up by this unforgiving world.  
They hiccuped while tears flowed down on their mask, the moth patting and shushing them while they cried.


	2. Chapter 2

Green bubbling vats of liquid lit the hallway. The vessel carefully avoided the lit areas, squeezing behind the containers. The building was empty, the hallways echoing in the quiet. They spied a bug snoozing on a desk, papers strewn about around him. They snuck a little closer, still out of reach, and they looked at the papers on the floor. 

The pages were covered in flowing handwriting, but no pictures. The vessel lost interest in the illegible scratch, carefully avoiding them to make sure that they did not make a sound.  
More empty halls opened up before them. 

There were some bugs up and stumbling around, their eyes cloudy from lack of sleep. If they saw the vessel, they thought little of the creature, as many more pressing matters were on their minds. Research and archival matters, transcribing the books and parchments delivered to the Archive onto acid so that Monomon would be able to use them, the beds available to sleep, food, their research proposal, or even just the cleaning that will need to happen in this place. 

The vessel, therefore passed through the bowels of the Archive unmolested by the scholars of the place.

They looked through cloudy windows, heading deeper and deeper. Twisting roads filled with unusual sights, made them forget the caution that had let them go so far.  
They wondered about the sort of bugs that would choose to spend their time in such a strange place. They tapped on some glass, that seemed to house similar jellies to the ones outside. The jellies floated away from the noise, placid and calm. 

The vessel clinked their mask against another container. Silvery little fishes flicked back and forth the pattern of their movements hypnotic. Their eyes followed the movement, their mind blissfully blank of worries. 

The next tank had glowing flies in it, the glass almost buzzing with the wingbeats of the hundreds of creatures. The vessel touched the glass, finding their fingers going numb with the buzzing, enjoying the new sensation. They held their hands to the glass, and leaned closer. How fascinating. The glowing flies seemed to swarm towards where their hand touched the glass.  
They dragged their hands further to the side. The flies followed them, attracted to the shadow they cast. The vessel conducted swirly patterns with the glow of the flies, not noticing that their hand left a sticky green layer on the outside of the tank. 

Strange instruments lied on another bench. There were a huge amount of gleaming, clean glass, as well as pointy metal things. They looked sharp in the dim light.

The night deepened. The vessel was deep inside the belly of this curious building, enchanted by the flies and other bugs around, and they have not noticed the time passing.  
Soon, tiredness dragged their steps slower and slower.

They tried to head out, but all the corridors looked exactly the same to them, the building suddenly becoming like a labyrinth.  
They found a metal bench, high on a platform. They were so tired, and walking hurt so much so, and the bench was really out of the way. They dragged themselves to the bench, just to sit down. Only for a moment, they promised themselves. 

As soon as they sat down, sleep seized them. They fell asleep so fast, their white shell clanged off the back of the bench.

Fortunately, the only bug that heard the noise though that it was just a hidden mechanism activating deep within the Archive. But he had more to worry about his grant request getting signed and approved, and anyway where was that last sample tube…

The sun rose, and the lanterns were getting brighter again. The vessel slept, unperturbed by any of the bustle that went on under them.

They were so deeply in the clutches of a dream where they floated in a soft, warm pool of darkness, that they didn’t even stir when a pair of tendrils wrapped around their torso.

When their head left the bench, they jerked awake. No trace of the calmness that enveloped them remained. One of their arms was held down by the creature before them, but they used to other one to try to push the tendrils off of them. The green glowing creature just squeezed them tighter.

“What do we have here?” It spoke. The vessel started to shake in fear, their grip on the tendrils becoming slippery. They kicked, but it didn’t connect. They jerked to the side, but they had no momentum. They were held up in the air, with no way to get any purchase to struggle. 

“Hmm…” The creature had a bright white mask, somewhat similar to theirs. “How curious. I haven’t seen something like you, ever.” It brought a tendril up to their head, and the vessel did the only thing they could think of. They lunged towards the creature, and seized the tendril in their mouths.

“Oh, well, now.”

It bled something very sour, but they held onto it. The tendril wiggled, and the sour liquid splashed onto the ground. It burned in their mouth, but if it meant that the creature would let them go, they were willing to fight.

They got lifted closer to the face of the thing. They stared, eyes wide and scared, into the four holes on the mask. Four eyes stared back at them, unblinking. 

“I would appreciate if you could let me go.” The vessel just gripped harder. “I really don’t have the time to deal with this now.” It shook them a little, and started to head back down where all the tanks were. 

Anxiety gripped the stomach of the vessel, heading back, away from the exit. The green creature had a flowing veil under the mask, dark blue, and decorated in white lace. It glowed faintly, and floated gracefully down to the tanks.

It dropped the vessel down into one of the empty glass vessels. It was barely big enough for them to stand, but it swiftly secured a top onto the jar.

“There we go. No more biting for you.”

* * *

The purple moth was called the Seer. She was one of the oldest of the moth tribe. She was very careful with the vessel. She brought them food and drink regularly, and did not leave their bedside. The moth that saved them after their fall was called Thistlewind. She was currently away, trying to find anyone who would be able to help the little vessel heal. 

The vessel still spilled void, staining the sheets black. The Seer would bandage them, covering their shell in cloth until all the dripping void was contained. They knew that the void dripping was nothing to be scared of, but they had no way of explaining it to the moths. Even eating exhausted them. They slept the dreamless sleep of the wounded, tired beyond measure. 

Their awake moments were filled with the Seer fussing, and trying to coax more food or drink into them; and frustrated attempts of communicating. Their siblings would understand them easily, gaining insight even from the smallest gesture, but these other bugs were so much harder to talk to.

Thistlewind ducked under the sheets covering the Seer’s room. She had a jar in her hand. She handed it to the vessel, and twisted the top off. The room was filled with a sweet smell, and the vessel leaned closer to the jar, trying to get more of the amazing aroma. 

“Eat a little. The Bees said that it would help your healing along. I also bought more bandages from them, they swear up and down that it is the best thing to use on stubborn wounds.” She carefully patted their head. “ We will see about visiting your partner tomorrow, if you feel up for it, but tonight I’m weary of my travels.” 

Thislewind then gestured for the Seer to head outside. She kept her voice down, careful not to disturb the bug healing inside.

“Tell me, how are they faring?” Thistlewind stabbed her nail point-down into the ground. “Do you think that if the need arises, they could be moved without them coming into further harm?”

“I don’t know Thistlewind. Some days they seem a little more awake, some days they spent asleep.” The Seer shook her head sadly. “ Why do you ask?”

“I’ve been hearing whispers. The King seems to be searching. He says that anything unusual has to be reported to the nearest guard.” They both peeked into the room. The vessel was slowly, carefully sticking their whole hand into the jar. Their mask was sticky and shiny from the honey.

“I’ve never seen anything like this bug.” The Seer admitted. “ But I do not have any goodwill towards the Pale King, and so, whatever I do or do not do in my own home is none of his business.”

Thistlewind nodded. 

“The people of Hallownest are talking. We need to be careful. I will keep an ear to the ground. But, just to be safe, I will find a place to hide the little one.”

* * *

The Pale King paced in his throne room. No vessel has emerged from the Birthplace. The sea of Void was roiling with anger, lashing out to anything that dared to go close to it. He couldn’t make the trip down there again, not with the lighthouse switched off.

The guard that was stationed in the lighthouse had not been reacting to any of his commands for days now. The letter of condolences for the family lied on his desk, still unsigned. 

He reached the other end of the room, and turned around. The room was echoing with emptiness, all the royal retainers away on their mission to inform all guard captains to keep their eyes on anything unusual. The infection was spreading, but he didn’t want the citizens to panic.

The Radiance’s light was slowly spreading, leaking through the veil of Dream. It had no effect on him, as he had no need to dream, but the bugs in the capital were reporting haunting visions. Disturbed dreams, muddled thoughts, and, occasionally aggression. The doctors of the capital were still able to save most of the infected bugs, but the Pale King was worried. How long will they be able to hold on against a force so unrelenting?

He had all the pieces ready to go to seal away the Radiance and her infection, to finally purge this kingdom from her corrupting presence. The bargain with Herrah had borne fruit, Monomon was satisfied with the freedoms he had granted for her for the time, and Lurien was happy to serve him this way.

The weavers had constructed the spells up in the Black Egg, and the area was filled with void to prevent her light spilling out. The only piece missing was a suitably hollow vessel. 

He knew that the first few experiments would end in failure. The first clutch that hatched had too much Soul and physical body, and the children were eaten up by the void before they could make their way out. The second ones weren’t much better, while the third try didn’t even lead to a viable physical form. When those clawed their way out of the egg they were laid in, the void tendrils have halfway eaten them away. Those were the first ones he had to put out of their misery, broken little voices crying in anguish.

There were so, so many attempts after that. He stopped to count after the third one, the pain of seeing the little bodies being eaten away by the hungry void becoming too much.

The latest batch of vessel eggs were promising. They had been bathing in the void for a few weeks now, but still there was no vessel that have made its way to the entrance of the Abyss.

The Pale King reviewed his notes, and made plans to visit his queen again later to ask for her assistance in preparing the next clutch of eggs.

Maybe these ones will be suitable in preventing further suffering, and he can finally rest.

* * *

The guard captain in Crystal Peak was reading the weekly reports when he ran across the one from one of the foot guards. It mentioned two young bugs running away from one of the miners. It was nothing unusual, but with his new orders he decided to mention the issue to his superior.

Maybe someone will visit the moths living below them. The bugs couldn’t disappear, and the only way was down from there.

He shrugged, filled an incident report to be delivered to the City of Tears. One of his superiors will decide whether it’s important enough to follow up on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jarred vessel :D   
Thanks for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

These tunnels were too full of danger for them. Too many attacks left them shaky and hurt. The comfort of darkness waned as it didn’t only shrouded the siblings, but provided an easy way for hunters to sneak up on them.

Their attention was split into so many directions, the aggressive predators that stalked in these tunnels often found them.

A bug, bigger than both of them combined, with two bladed weapons charged at them. The siblings ran, out of breath and shaky, but they ran for their survival.

The older sibling leaned against a wall. The short sprint left them breathless, the injuries they got when falling into a pit of spikes still paining them.

“Rest” they gestured to their sibling. They nodded, and sat down at the entrance of the nook they found.

It took only a moment, but when the sibling leaned back, their back got caught in something very, very sticky. They panickedly tried to twist away from the trap. The web stretched, and stuck. They made a noise to get their little sibling’s attention. They saw the fear in their eyes, and they rushed to help.

The wed was sticking to everything it touched. They tried pulling against it, but it just made their hands stick together. 

They tried sawing the web off with the broken mandible, but it was too blunt.

Nothing worked.

They tried to get their sibling’s attention. “Go” They pointed away.

“No” 

“Go”

“No!” The little sibling stomped their feet, and turned their backs to the older one.  
The headstrong vessel did not budge.

They were standing guard what felt like an eternity, scaring away all the bugs that dared to try to get closer. 

Their arms were shaking, barely holding onto the mandible.

“GO!”

“NO!”

They both knew that there would not be a way forward. With them both being so starved, and the older one being caught in a sticky trap, their demise was only the question of time. 

The tunnel shook with the rushing steps of a huge, masked bug.  
It passed by the tunnel at first, but then it quickly backtracked.

The little vessel stood in the entrance of the tunnel. When they saw the big bug turning back around, they readied their pathetic weapon. The bug opened its face, turning the two sides of its mask into blades, and it released a bellowing screech.

The vessel dashed in to attack, their steps quick and sure, and they managed to land a clumsy hit. The resulting barrage of attack from the enemy bug threw their little body far deep into the tunnel, bouncing off the back wall.  
They shook, and dripped void, but stood again. Their vision swam, the bug reduced to just a pale blob. They rushed towards the enemy again, raising the mandible.

No-one will hurt their sibling on their watch. 

The hit came out of nowhere. Halfway through their arch in the air, their body went limp like a ragdoll.

Their sibling watched helplessly, struggling and getting deeper entangled in the trap.

They came to themselves enveloped in something white and soft. They sank their little claws into the soft material. They clawed and bit and struggled. They twisted their body in the soft prison. They finally got their arm through a hole they tore, and with great difficulty they squeezed themselves through the gap.

The mandible was gone. They saw another familiar lump nearby. They pulled on the strands until their little sibling also fell out of the cocoon.  
Their sibling’s mask was badly broken, with pieces missing, and void floating up from the gaps. Their eyeholes were jagged and broken, one of their horns was missing. They hung in their arms limply.

The older sibling focused and gathered what little soul reserve they had and began to heal the vessel in their arms. The mask slowly regained its shape, the two prongs on the horns whole again. One of their eyes was healed, but the other one still leaked void.

They both ran out of soul before the vessel could be completely healed. They managed to get their feet under them. 

It was an unfamiliar room. Now that they both had the reassuring grip on the other, they looked around. The room was dark, but not pitch black. The walls were covered with webs and cocoons similar to what they came out of. 

The older sibling tried to free more bugs from the cocoons, but the other one did not let their hands go. They pulled on their hand until they gave up on the attempted rescue.

They went to the door and listened. The chittering of the tunnels was quiet, there were only a few scuffing steps were to be heard. They made their way through the entrance, slowly and looking very, very carefully. They had no idea if either of them would survive another attach from the masked bug. 

Down where they were there was just a yawning pit of darkness. The younger sibling kicked off a stone, listening to the echo it gave. It splashed after a few seconds, letting them know that there was water underneath the platform. The pair carefully made their way upwards. 

There was almost no movement around them. The place seemed quiet with no bugs around. The vessels crossed numerous platforms, making their way to a tunnel in the wall.

“Mama!”

The yell made them look up. They saw a white fat bug struggle with a little child. They were directly below the white bug, just out of sight.

The hatchling was crying, big, fat tears rolling down their cheeks. It looked so, so familiar. It was dressed in a soft red cape, the bottom decorated with frills. Two white horns arched from its head, with two black eyeholes for it.

The young sibling pulled on the other’s arm, trying to get them to move. But the older one was stuck in place, their eyes glued to the scene unfolding.

“No beast shall taint the blood of our king!” The white bug yelled, holding the baby over the ledge. With a cry, a big, ferocious bug rushed the white bug, and he released the child. The siblings reached towards the falling baby as one. The sudden weight made them tip over the ledge, and they fell with the heartbroken wail of the warrior following them down, they plunged into the dark.

Splash!  
They sunk down into the grimy water, their momentum forcing the air up from their lungs, but their innate lightness made them float upwards almost immediately. The siblings held the baby in their arms, keeping her head above the water. She was crying, and clinging to the younger sibling, and they slowly kicked the water to make their way to the shore not too far away. 

The children climbed out of the cold water, and huddled closer together. The baby was clinging to both of them, shivering in the cold. The siblings removed their cloaks, wrapping up the little one. She clung to the fabric, shivering.

The children started to make their way through the dark tunnel. They could barely see anything, but the path was empty and quiet. 

They eventually reached the end. The area was warm and comfortable, and the three children hunkered down in one of the corners. They waited, the younger one patting the back of the hiccuping hatchling, trying to quiet the cries. 

They saw the beastly bug descend in one of the vertical shafts nearby. 

“Mama!” the baby squirmed out of their makeshift nest, running towards the fierce bug. The vessels slowly, wearily stood up, keeping an eye on the hatchling.  
“My darling!” The bug scooped up the hatchling, her enormous bulk dwarfing the child. She held the child to her chest, holding close, and turned her attention towards the vessels.  
They stood next to each other, both protective of the other. A reustle of earth made the older one glance to the side, and they just saw another beast emerging from the wall. 

The siblings turned their backs to each other, each keeping a bug in their vision.

The bug from the wall rubbed her stubby legs together in front of her mask. After the trickery of the tunnels, the siblings didn’t trust either of these huge creatures.

“Brave little knights, aren’t they?” The mother asked. She crawled closer, her many legs giving her a smooth gait. 

“Most certainly. Maybe a little reward is in order?” The soft-voiced bug from the wall replied. The mother made a thoughtful noise, and encouraged her child to climb onto her back.

“They are only children, Midwife. Just look at them. Little and soft. How could I let them go after all?” The Midwife shook her head. The siblings shrunk away from her, not trusting her soft voice.

“But who would take care of them? They are strangers to Deepnest, and no good loyal resident would raise some other bugs’ spawn.” She retreated a little into her hole “ Who would you trust with two tasty little morsels like these?”

The beast-mother made a thoughtful noise.

“No-one, Midwife, only myself would care for these knights. My child will need their loyalty in the coming times.”

* * *

The vessel stopped struggling after the Seer scrubbed them hard to get the sticky honey off.

Thistlewind had gone to rest, promising the child to take them to the resting place of their sibling the next day.

“There we go. Good child.” The Seer patted them on their head, and tucked them in. Now that the vessel had eaten the sugary treat, they didn’t want to go to sleep. They patted the side of their bed. The Seer shuffled closer, and sat on the spot given to her.

“What is it little one? What do you need?” The vessel made a little chirping sound, and brought two of their hands together, and leaned close. 

“Hmm? I don’t understand.” 

The vessel repeated the motion, and moved their face side to side as if reading.  
“Oh! Do you want me to tell a story?” The vessel nodded vigorously, and made themselves comfortable in a little nest of blankets.

“ Then let me tell you the story of the first moth that had journeyed beyond the borders of this kingdom. Her name was Lenné, and she was the first one ever to take up nail... 

The vessel slept, and dreamt the first time in their short lives. The dream was full of bright light, clouds and a whisper.

WHO DARES... TO DISTURB MY TRIBE

WHO DARES... TO INVADE MY TERRITORY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! I struggled a lot writing this chapter. What did you think? Thanks for reading!
> 
> SHOUT OUT TO MY BROTHER!!! Thanks for betaing ❤️


	4. Chapter 3

The Pale King made his way to the edge of the platform. It hung above the endless dark of the Abyss, a thin needle piercing the hollow air. This was his fourth time coming that day, neurotically checking the progress of the newest creations. 

He felt every second pass burning, time slipping through his clutches. Every report from Lurien, every death count and every cry made his insides twist with anxiety.

He needed this to work. If the plan failed before it even began, the Radiance would burn every living bug in Hallownest, and it would turn from a prosperous kingdom to a stinking corpse.

He needed to stop her and her wrath in its tracks.

There was a white mask staring at him from the gloom. It had four pointed horns framing its face, pure white and unblemished.  
It was hanging onto the platform with all its might, and scrambled on top of it. It still had a long way to go, but the Pale King was intrigued. It showed the most promise out of all the vessels that have made it that far.

It stared at him, and the King gazed back.

* * *

They had climbed up to get out of the Abyss, to find a home for themselves. Their hatch-sibling perished a few minutes after hatching. 

The Light was looking down.

The gaze of the monster turned their body frozen, and they couldn’t turn their eyes away from the grotesque sight.

* * *

It made its way out eventually. The journey took longer than what the Pale King expected, but the vessel didn’t stumble, and it didn’t hesitate. It cleared the last great jump with the help of a pair of short, stubby wings that flared at the peak of the jump. He hadn’t seen a vessel with wings like that before, but it made sense for them to be there.

He did also possess a pair of wings. Some small, tired part of him wanted to be proud of the vessel. It did not stumble, and it did not move. The harsh reality of what he was about to accomplish squashed the little part of him that still saw the vessels as his spawn.

They were empty creations, and the sooner he remembered that the less hurt he would be at the end.

“Come, my empty vessel.” It fell in step behind him, a respectful distance away. Its head was hanging low, watching its steps. The King glided along the path to the White Palace, but his mind had already drifted to the next part of his plan.

He will need to make an announcement to bring hope into the hearts of his citizens.

He spared a glance behind him. It was still slouching.

* * *

Markoth has been watching the King’s comings and goings for a while. He had been careful and observant. He knew that spying could bring a harsh punishment down onto his head, but he needed to know. 

He had been having disturbing dreams, dreams that made it hard for him to trust the King. He had been suspecting that something was wrong, something dangerous has been lingering in the air. 

There were fewer and fewer bugs arriving in the resting grounds to have their final rites performed, but more and more bugs disappeared. Markoth has been hearing rumours that the Pale King is covering up something monstrous. 

He was resting behind a boulder, hidden from view in the Ancient Basin. It was an unwelcoming environment, few plants and fewer bugs living there. The natural sunlight didn’t penetrated deep inside the kingdom, but life had managed to sprout anyway. 

The only things living this deep were the shadow creepers, stubborn bottom feeders of the kingdom. He had been eating nothing but these tasteless crawlies for days, and he had half a mind to return to the Resting Grounds. 

Some odd compulsion had not let him leave, however. He had spent a lot of fruitless days viewing the pathway through a door with the king’s seal on it. The King would come ten times each day, always leaving empty handed. He always made sure to seal the gateway behind him, and the seal was always perfect.

This was the fourth round of the King, and he seemed to spend an unusually long time behind the door.

The King returned with the strangest little creature following him. Markoth leant forward curiously, as the King seemed deep in his thoughts.

The little bug stopped in its track, and looked straight to Markoth. He froze, and their eyes locked onto each other. The thing took a shaky step towards the moth, its arms reaching out pleadingly.

Fear gripped Markoth, and he ducked behind a boulder. He strained to hear something, but no-one came. He exhaled a relieved breath, this shoulders relaxing after such a close call of being discovered.

He made his way to the large door, and it was again sealed. There was nothing moving in the area. Every bit of life seemed to avoid the door entirely. He laid a hand on the seam, but there was no movement of air at all. It was as if the space behind the door didn’t exist.

He needed to talk to the Seer. Hopefully, Thistlewind would be back as well, so that he can share his findings. Dread filled him when he thought about the creature following the King. 

A being born behind this door is surely a monster.

* * *

The vessel had no idea if they were ever this bored. Before they were locked in the jar there always was something to run from, to explore or to avoid. Inside the jar, at first, they couldn’t help but cry, terrified that they were going to be crushed. But the jellyfish just ignored them, shifting through stone tablets.

The room where the jellyfish took them was bright, the green tubes of bubbling acid illuminating every nook and cranny. The vessel could see the jellyfish floating at her desk, occasionally glancing up at them. 

There were no other bugs that came inside the room, no visitors to hide from. Soon, they calmed down, and with calm came the boredom.   
At first, they tried to relax, but the jar was too small to lie down properly. They tried rocking it off the shelf, but it was too heavy to move.

The top was too slippery to push off, and the glass was too thick to break from their fists.

They ended up knocking on the glass using their horns. The jellyfish seemed to tense more and more as they relentlessly clinked on the glass. 

She angrily floated up to the captive vessel.

“What! Be quiet!” She tapped on the glass with her tendril. The vessel threw their arms to the side, aggressively posturing. It seemed to amuse the jellyfish.

“ You sure have a lot of bravado sneaking in here, and then demanding things from me little bug. I will have to find your parents so that they can discipline you well.”

The jellyfish leaned back, considering the vessel. She looked it up and down. 

“Do you perchance know where your parents are? I’ll send them a sternly worded letter to pick you up.” 

The vessel shook their head. They had no idea what she was talking about. The jellyfish frowned. 

“ Do you know their names, perhaps?” No. Shake.

“Do you know how they look like?” No. She looked up to the ceiling, exasperated.

“ Do you even have parents?” No. Shake.

That made her pause. She patted the glass gently. 

“I will have someone take care of you. This is really not something I should be dealing with, but anything is better than another boring proposal written by those idiots in the city. Quirrel seems fond of children. I will have him take you to the Temple of Unn.”

The vessel was relieved to be let out, even more so that they were allowed to leave the building. The jellyfish called out to someone called Quirrel, and a blue silver pillbug appeared soon.

“Madam Monomon! What may I help you with?” He spotted the vessel sitting in the jar. He gasped, and rushed to Monomon. “Madam! You are not supposed to jar children!” He seemed a little cross, and the vessel excitedly leant against the glass. They were going to be let go! Outside was waiting.

“ But Quirrel! They bit me!” She waved her injured tendril in front of the bug’s face. The other bug seemed unimpressed.

“Still! Monomon, they are a child. At least let them go now. I will take care of them.”

“ That’s why I called you here. They don’t seem to have any parents or guardians. We don’t have any suitable space for a child, and the Archive is not appropriate. I need you to take them to the Temple of Unn, find someone who could take care of them.” She rubbed a tendril in the middle of her mask. “ This is such a headache. Please take care of them for now, Quirrel.”

The pillbug looked at the vessel. They did their best to look small and pathetic, the least dangerous bug ever. Quirrel nodded, and the vessel’s heart almost jumped out of their chest.

They were going to be let go! They can still leave this dangerous kingdom, and go exploring! Their captivity seemed to last an eternity, and now that freedom was close enough to taste, they could barely contain their excitement.

Monomon lifter the jar, and popped the top open. She laid the jar down, gently tilted on its side, so that the vessel could clamber out of it. 

As soon as their feet hit solid ground they dashed towards the exit. The bugs behind them gave shouts of alarm, but the vessel had plenty of time to plan their escape route.   
They slammed the door open, startling a scholar bug into dropping a pile of paper straight into acid.

They sped down the hallway, as fast as their feet could carry them. They didn’t dare to look back, as they remembered how quick the jellyfish lady was. 

They slammed into the opposite wall. They pushed themselves off of it, and took the turn. They could almost smell the sweet sweet air of freedom, when a huge, round bug appeared. They couldn’t slow down enough, and they careened into the armoured beetle. 

The beetle lifted them off of their feet, quick enough to prevent any escape. They struggled as they saw that Monomon and Quirrel also arrived in the lobby. 

“Oho! I see that you have a little warrior among you!“ The beetle gave a hearty chuckle. The vessel began to regret their hasty exit from the jar. The warrior was truly stinky. 

“Ah!” Quirrel gasped “I see you caught my cousin! They are truly slippery are they not? Haha!” He reached towards the vessel, but the knight lifted them higher.

“ Oh, no scholar! I don’t believe this place is the best for a child to run amok. Where were they before? I shall take them there before they slip from you again.”

Quirrel desperately wished he could show Knight Ogrim the jar where the little escapee came from, but he had a feeling that the knight would take offense. 

“Right away. This way, if you please.” 

He showed them an unused room, where an older bug had done theoretical experiments on the essence of void, so it was functionally empty. When he was left alone with the strange child, he carefully put himself between the door and them.

“Now, that we are alone, my little friend; where do you belong?”

The vessel crossed their arms over their chest, ignoring the question. Quirrel sat down, with his back to the door, and kept an eye on the child. They couldn’t leave the archive until the knight left, but after that, they will take the child to Greenpath, and leave them in the trust of the people there. 

The vessel poked around in the scattered paperwork. There were a lot more pictures on these papers, and they saw something familiar as they were digging through. It was a crudely drawn sculpture of the statue that laid on the shore of the Abyss. It reminded them of home and their hatch-sibling.

They took the drawing, and showed it to Quirrel. 

“Hm? What is it?” The vessel pointed to the sculpture, and then to themselves, and so began the most frustrating round of charades Quirrel ever experienced.

The meaning of the hour long frustration was still unclear. The hatchling couldn’t have come from the Abyss, no life was sustained there. It was also impossible that they saw the statue, they were a child. In the end, Quirrel put a pen and paper in their hand, to try and communicate, but the paper was filled with scribbles that he couldn’t understand.

The majority of the paper was filled with scribbles, with only the distinct shape of a few pairs of horns visible. There was an empty space left in the top corner, and other shaped falling from there. There were a few bugs drawn very clumsily on the bottom, that looked startlingly similar to the strange child, but none that were the exact same.

He put it aside to ponder on it later, and he took the child out of the Archive. The trek up to Greenpath was a short one, even with the constant struggle to catch the vessel.

As Unn’s followers were slowly dwindling in numbers, there wasn’t a lot of convincing needed for the moss kights to take up a new discipline; and the vessel was given a bed, and a bowl of stew.

They kept an eye out for Quirrel, but soon the other squires took them to play a round of catch. After all, children make friends easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... the plot is almost ready to happen. What do you think?
> 
> Also, I like to think that the Pale King is being philosophical about the vessels and his plan, meanwhile the vessel is just freaking the absolute hell out.


	5. Chapter 5

The servant woke with the sun as usual. He was the first to wake, and he will be the last to sleep, just as it should be. The servant business has always meant to be a steady job. Until his lord passed on, he would be part of his household.  
The servant, Lief, went through the motions of putting on his uniform, finishing it off with the yellow jewel at his throat.  
On his way to the kitchen, he collected the mail. He put the water up to boil and readied a platter for his lord’s breakfast. He neatly put the pile of letters on the tray, and made his way up to the top of the tower.

Lurien was already awake, his servant sometimes even doubted that he ever slept. The painting he was working on was covered in a thin dustsheet to keep the paint moist, and his desk was impeccably neat as usual.  
Lief bowed to Lurien.

“My lord. Your breakfast is ready.” He straightened up, and began the morning report: “ Today you have a meeting with the city guards in the afternoon. There was a message delivered from his Majesty, the Pale King; you may find it on top of the letters collected through the night. His Majesty will be waiting for your report about the status of the city. Today’s tea is green, gifted from the Mosskin. “ He bowed again.

“ Thank you Lief. You may take your leave and attend to your other duties. I will call you is the need arises.”

Lief chatted with the kitchen maid, a young bug hailing from Dirtmouth. She had a young daughter she had to take care of, and Lief always made sure to sneak a bite of the cakes to the young grub whenever he could.

He took pride in the efficient and smooth way the house ran, he was sure that it was the best managed household in the City of Tears. 

Lief took the young kitchen maid, Milicent to his errands, as she knew best what was needed for the kitchens.

The market that morning was busier than usual. The two servant bugs had to push through the crowd multiple times. The citizens seemed to be congregating around a small raised platform, where a city guard was nailing a long piece of parchment.

The city guard turned to the crowd when the parchment was secured on the pole. She raised her voice, and yelled over the general chatter of the crowd.

“Citizens of the City! This is His Majesty the Pale King’s direct orders to you! Your duty to the safety of the kingdom is now more important than ever! A sickness is spreading,and your duty is to report any suspicious behavior! This sickness doesn’t spare anyone! It does not care for age, social status or wealth! I ask this of you, citizens; be vigilant! The guards of the city will be on the streets at all times from now on! Do not be afraid to approach us if you have any suspicions!” The guard took a deep breath, and continued.

“ If you have any symptoms of the following: Restless sleep; talking nightmares; Sleepwalking; et cetera! Come to the tents set up at the edges of the City; we have numerous medics in attendance! We are here to protect you! The King, in his infinite wisdom has a plan in motion, this situation is soon to be dealt with; until then, keep your eyes open! Thank you!” The guards around the Market square tried to calm the crowd, but now that the news was out, fearful whispers began to float.

Lief and Milicent took the shortest way back to the Watcher’s tower, but till the entrance was blocked with panicked bugs. They got in, using the servant’s entrance, and they shared a scared glance.

“I’m sure it will be alright” Lief offered the platitude to Milicent who was very pale and shaky “We have dealt with worse after all.”

“I’m sure you are right” She composed herself “ But I do have Bretta to think about. I will stay; the City of Tears is the safest place to be after all.”

“We should let every other bug know as well, they will hear about it sooner rather than later.” Lief put his hand on Milicent’s shoulder “ Are you alright? Take the afternoon to spend with your daughter, I’m sure she will enjoy it.”

“I’m certain she enjoys the cakes you slip her more than her boring mum, Lief “ Milicent smiled at him “If you get any minute away from the household, join us for tea in the evening. Bretta loves your company.” 

Up, high above the bustle of the city, Lurien braced himself on his desk. The letter from the King laid in front of him, and he tried to see it, he tried very hard, but his eyes were just too cloudy to focus.

The situation was getting worse in Hallownest. The infection gaining more and more foothold. Bugs were wandering around, delirious and talking nonsense about an old god.  
But the King’s letter caused a different sort of anguish in him. Letting go of his household would be akin to cutting off an arm or a leg, but he can’t expect them to put their lives on hold for him. Time to talk to Leif about the best course of action.

* * *

Deepnest was in uproar. After Herrah’s decision to adopt the two outsider bugs, the beasts of Deepnest were displeased. Welcoming two weaklings who were not native to Deepnest was unheard of. 

Herrah took the three hatchlings to Weaver’s den. It was bustling with activity, weavers running along invisible threads suspended in air. Whispers started to echo in the cavern.

“Herrah!”

“Herrah is here!”

“Did she bring the outsiders?”

“She did! There they are!”

Herrah lifted her daughter off from her back. She was dressed in a dark blue cape, clinging to her toy nail. 

“Come now, stay close.” She said to the children “ We are here to get you dressed appropriately.” She held onto their arms. A few older Weavers came closer, and the children crowded closer to Herrah.

The princess excitedly waved to the nearby Weavers. The younger spiders walked closer, ready to drag her away to play. Herrah released her arm, and the princess ran away into the tunnels with a ringing laugh.

“I will need a few set of cloaks. The ones they had is completely ruined. I will need to talk about charms as well.” The older sibling got pulled a little further away, so that a Weaver could have a good look at them. The younger one tensed, ready to defend their siblings. 

Spiders jumped to work, synchronised with ages of experience. Fine silk floated in the air. The vessels watched, entranced as the spiders seemed to dance on thin air, threads appearing out of nowhere. 

Herrah pulled the void siblings into a secluded little room, off from the main chamber.

“Stay here a little bit. I need to attend to some affairs with the Weavers. Do not leave this room.”

The older vessel obediently sat down, content to nap in one of the cozier corners. The younger one, however paced along the room, feeling a little claustrophobic. After Herrah didn’t return for a while, and making sure their sibling was asleep, they sneaked out of the room.

The Weaver took little notice of the intruder, occupied by their errands. The air was warm and a little stuffy. The vessel looked up, watching the spiders run along invisible threads suspended between anchor points. The ceiling was obscured by all the pathways, clouded in silvery mist. 

They saw the princess dashing along one of the threads, following a group of red cloaked weaverlings. They tried to follow, but the other kids were high up in the air, and they couldn't yet climb that high. 

They sneaked into a couple of the tunnels leading away from the main chamber. Most of them were filled with rolls of silk, sometimes spools of thread, piled high to the ceiling. Curiosity kept the sibling exploring, even as the order from Herrah niggled in the back of their mind.  
They did not know how the large bug would react to their disobedience, but they were still in unfamiliar surroundings. They could not rest until all the stones were turned to make sure no monster was hiding under it. 

They kept an eye out for the Queen, but she was busy with her dealings with the other spiders.

The curious vessel discovered a tunnel which was half collapsed in the back of a storage room. It had a gentle slope upwards, and they crawled through it. It seemed to be a tunnel for bugs that couldn’t run on the spider’s silk, but it appeared to be unused for a while now. When the sibling arrived in the higher level, they were much much filthier that when they started. Dust stuck to them, making their black body a dull gray. 

They stuck their head through the opening of the room, and saw the great big looms where the weavers were making the silk. The machines looked huge, with four posts holding up the intricate machine. 

There were so many Weavers running and operating the enormous wooden looms that the vessel felt a little lost among them. They walked closer to the looms, mindful of the moving parts.

The Weaver’s were singing. The rhythmic clack of the beaters; the swishing sound of the shuttles providing a steady rhythm. Their mumbled words entranced the child, listening to the song.

The Weaver pushing the shuttle along the warp threads took notice of the intruder.

“How did you sneak in there? You are like a ghost appearing so suddenly.” The child still had their attention locked on the looms. “ Do you want to give it a go?” The Weaver lifted the shuttle up to grab the little one’s gaze. When they enthusiastically nodded, the spider lifted them up. The weaving restated, with the spider and the vessel taking turns on the loom. 

Herrah found them a little time lare, when the fabric for the cloaks were finished. She settled to watch for a bit, taking a note of the affinity the little one showed to learning.

These bugs were truly impossible. She had admired their tenacity, and the loyalty they showed to each other. She knew that she would leave her daughter alone when the Pale King calls to fulfill her duty, but for now she rested a little easier. 

If the three children bond together as siblings, no harm would ever come to the princess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than usual. Life had been kicking my butt. However, as the winter break is here, I will be updating the story as I go along!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> P.S: Follow me on Tumblr?????


	6. Chapter 6

Far, far above the Resting Grounds the Crystal Peak glittered with false stars. The Seer felt restless, her tired body refusing to sleep. The child was almost completely healed, even though their missing arm still obviously pained them.  
The Seer could feel her old god’s presence getting stronger in the Resting Grounds. The place has always been a refuge to all bugs, a zone of peace and mourning. No gods dared to enter there, it used to be free of all influence, including the Radiance’s. The Seer felt a dark, foreboding clouds gather on the edges of the future. Nothing good came from warring gods, and all of them felt agitated. Their power drifted with the wind, twisting and poisoning the air.

A dark, silent fog from below the kingdom, formless and lost.

A sick, glowing light from up above, dangerous and twisted. 

A pale shimmer from the heart of civilisation, shackled down in worries. 

Lush green scent from the sides, weak and almost completely gone.

A red mist from far away, always hungry for more.

The Seer blinked, her wings ached, more painful than they ever been. She felt like she flew to the edges of the world, and then back.

She turned towards her tent, walking carefully. She could barely lift her legs, and her knees gave up a few steps from her mattress. She crawled, furious at her failing body, and fell into the unmade bed. Dream gripped her hard, and dragged her under in a blink.

* * *

The vessel has gotten used to dreaming. Sometimes it was pleasant and relaxing, but sometimes they woke up exhausted not remembering why.  
The strange voice has not disappeared. It faded into the background, a constant, low murmur.

They looked around the misty landscape. Fluffy little clouds drifted with a gentle wind. They saw a red dot moving in the distance. That was new, as there usually wasn’t anyone else in their dreams. They watched with rapt attention as the dot grew bigger, into the silhouette of an unfamiliar bug. 

The vessel jumped up on a few floating islands, curiosity taking over. The bug was a big, fluffy moth, with a shield strapped to his back. His fluff was much bigger than the Seer’s or Thislewind’s and the vessel wondered if he would let them touch it, and if it was just as pleasant to tough as the other moth’s.  
He didn’t seem to notice the vessel at first, so they could have a good look at the intruder. 

The vessel took the last jump with confidence. They had plenty of practice in moving about in their dreams. If they fell, they would just jerk awake, nothing bad ever happened as a consequence. The dreams even seemed more inviting that the waking world to them.

As they soared towards the floating platform, the unfamiliar moth spotted them. He detached his shield from his back, and it floated above him. It spun in a lazy circle, the air seemingly singing as the sharp edge of it cut through the dream clouds.

“How do you intrude here, monster of the Pale King?” He demanded with a sharp voice. The vessel tries to show themselves to not be a threat, spreading their arm outwards to show they wielded no weapon.  
The moth had a pair of nails floating above his shoulders, they aimed right at the vessel’s chest, following every movement.

“How do you disturb my dreams? Why did you come here?”

They stood there, shaking like a leaf, shying away from the moth rounding on them. The moth seemed too tall for them, they craned their neck higher and higher to keep an eye on the furious bug. 

The moth took a big step forward, and it made them stumble backwards. The edge of the platform was close, and they felt it with their feet. Fear shook them, freezing them to their core.

Dreams were safe before, if a bit oppressive and hard to leave. But the safety of dreams were something they came to depend on in the short time they knew it. Dream was a means to escape the harsh reality, to remember their sibling, and their home. 

The red moth was proving this feeling to be false. He was proving that nowhere was safe, not even their own head. The realm of fluffy clouds, and of honeyed light, now seemed coyling and terrible. It seemed like a trap that they got stuck in unaware of the danger.

They tripped on the edge of the platform, falling backwards. Their view tipped upwards, and they saw one of the golden sword shooting into their chest. Agony ripped through them, and their eyes locked onto the sword sticking out of their chest.

They fell backwards into the yawning gap off of the platform. 

Their fall seemed to last forever, the sun seemed to scream, the sound stretching and distorting. The clouds enveloped them, rushing past. 

They jolted awake, and laid there, paralyzed. They still felt the sword piercing their chest, the uncontrollable fall into oblivion.

They tried to shake the Seer awake, but sleep gripped her too hard. Their dream still haunted them, every noise, every creak made them jump. They tried to go back to sleep as the night was still young, the deep darkness obscuring the outside world.

They kept jumping awake, sleep refusing to take them. Whenever they would fall asleep for the smallest of time, they dreamed of falling, the yell of the angry moth, and sometimes they would even dream of their own fall, and the hard landing. They would relive the way their sibling perished, the way they were left injured and in pain over and over again that night.

When morning came, they were exhausted from the horrible dreams, and the near-constant crying. They hoped that the Seer would wake soon. The only movement in the tent was the laboured bathing of the vessel, and the antennae of the Seer lifting and bowing with her breath.

The morning sun hit them and they squinted, and there was a movement outside the tent. They froze, their breath catching in their throat. Maybe it was their imagination. Nothing in their dreams were real, they knew. The red moth would not come back to haunt them.

They cautiously moved to the doorway. They pulled the heavy rugs open, and their breath was stolen from them.

The moth was there. He was there, alive from their dream. The angry, hateful, strong moth that hurt them in the safest place they knew. Straight from their imagination.

The moth was talking to Thistlewind, but the vessel could only see the moment when his sword pierced their chest, the ugly victory on his face. They stumbled out, dazed, scared out of their mind. Their eyes locked onto the gaze of the red moth, and they ran.

They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, as swift as their healing body allowed. They ignored the alarmed shout of the moths behind them, and the clang of swords that followed.

They ran away from the shack of the Seer, away from the bugs that seemed to be so friendly. Doubt held their thoughts, doubt of the moths. They seemed so nice. But they knew deep down that they were too odd. Too weird, too strange to be accepted by anyone except their own kin.

They ran as fast as they could through the resting grounds. Memorials and sculptures made it easy to hide, to avoid Thistewind looking for them.

“Child! Don’t be afraid! Come back!”

They just held their breath, too scared to be discovered by Thistlewind. 

Fear and anxiety made them keep up their punishing pace, regardless of how their wounds ached. They avoided other bugs, going unseen though the area. They felt a cool breeze on their mask, inviting them through a gap in the wall. 

They squeezed through and tumbled town onto a sandy shore. An enormous blue lake stretched out in front of them, going well over the horizon. 

Their shaky legs gave out and they fell into the soft sand. They stayed sitting in the sand for a while, running their hands through it. Some time passed, and they calmed a little from this whole ordeal.

The fear that chased them from their bed had abated, and they were able to think a little more clearly. Maybe the moth from their dream was just uncannily similar to the bug that came to the Resting Grounds. There is no way that their dream could predict the future.

Another unfamiliar bug shook them from their musings. 

He was wearing a red cloak, not dissimilar to the one the moth was wearing. However, this warrior had a horned helmet that shrouded their face in darkness, from which their eyes shone out brightly. He took in the sight of the distraught child sitting alone in the cold sand of the Blue Lake, and he sat down next to them too. The child seemed skittish and wary, but they didn’t shift or move when he approached.

“You chose a good time to come to the lake, my little friend. It is one of the last warm days of the year.” The little one didn’t speak, but they nodded. The warrior took this as an encouragement, and continued to speak: “ This lake is the most serene places I’ve ever been. Have you travelled much?”  
A nod, then a shrug.

“My name is Xero. Do you have a name?” 

No.

“That’s unfortunate. Don’t you have a family to give it to you?”

No again.

“I see. It is truly a terrible time to live in, as more and more people seem to disappear from the living.”

They were too tired to try to correct Xero’s assumption, so they just nodded. The warrior was content to ramble on and on about nothing in particular.

“Did you know that this lake drains straight down to the City of Tears? It is truly a wonderful sight to behold, the rain playing music on every rooftop, and making every tile sing. It can get miserably wet though, so I would recommend you take a good cloak. The roads are also treacherous, and so a good guide, or better yet, a trusty nail just to be safe.” 

The vessel shot Xero a curious look.

“I am no traveller child, even if I seem to be. I have travelled the breadth of this kingdom, yes, but only because I am on a mission.” 

The vessel now seemed more interested in the stories, but Xero was quick to brush him off.

“ There is no reason to worry your head about it, it is my burden to bear. I don’t believe that Hallownest’s royalty is completely innocent of the plague that sweeps my home, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.” He sighed and leaned back to rest on his arms. “ I, however, don’t think I will like whatever I find in this. I know that any scrap of information in this godforsaken kingdom costs an arm and a leg, there is no way around it.”

The vessel nodded to encourage him. They knew the gods would not be merciful to anyone poking about in their business. 

The mismatched pair stayed on the lakeshore for a long while after that. Xero would talk for long stretches about his travels, but as the day was coming to an end, he grew more and more quiet. 

“Do you have some people to go back to, little one?” 

A slow, careful nod.

“Then it might be time for you to head back there, as I too have to head back down. Would you like me to accompany you for a while?”

Another nod, a little more enthusiastic, this time.

They both left the shores of the Blue Lake, and made their way into the Resting Grounds. Xero grew quieter as they moved further in, respectful of the place.

Xero took the child straight back into the waiting arms of Thistlewind, who was worried beyond imagination. She checked the vessel over for any injuries, but they were completely fine. 

“Thank you for bringing them back to us. They seemed distraught in the morning, and they just left with no words to any of us.”

Xero nodded.  
“It was my pleasure. They are very, very good at listening.”

“They are indeed.” Thistlewind gave a little laugh. 

The void child clung to Thistlewind, but they haven’t missed the Seer inviting Xero into her tent. The red moth was missing too, but Thistlewind took them to her place, and fussed over them for a while. Thistlewind and them had gone through a difficult game of charades, and whatever she gleaned from their clumsy explanations made her worry more. They tried to explain their dream

“You need to rest a little, you had a horribly upsetting day.” They grabbed Thistlewind’s hands, when she made a move to leave.

“You want me to stay?” 

A nod.

“I have some things to discuss with the Seer, but I do believe I can spare some time for you.”

The vessel laid in Thistlewind’s bed, surrounded by the soft pillows and blankets, and yet, they struggled to fall asleep.

In the end, instead of the usual golden clouds, they were greeted with a red, misty landscape. It radiated warmth, and even though it looked less inviting than the golden dreams, no voice haunted them that night, and no horrible visions taunted them either.

* * *

Thislewind soon joined the others in the Seer’s tent. Markoth was developing an impressive bruise around his eye, but he didn’t appear to hold any resentment towards Thistlewind for giving it to him.

The Seer turned to Xero, the unknown warrior.

“ I hope you understand our wariness, but we all need to make sure that you won’t report the young one to the Pale King.”

“ You can trust me on this, on my word as a knight; I will not let my actions cause any harm directly or indirectly to the child. I have to ask, do you know what are they?”

“We don’t.” Answered Thistlewind. “ They fell down to here, and they injured themselves during the fall. I have been trying to find any knowledge of bugs like them, but I had no luck.”

Markoth leaned forward, careful of his bruises from the earlier fight with Thistlewind.

“I saw something similar to them a few days ago. The king himself gathered a monster like that from behind a closed and sealed door. I never got to see what he is hiding in there, and I had to leave shortly after.”

“They are not a monster, they are only a child.” The Seer said, a little forcefully. “ And you should do your job to remember that, Markoth.” She then turned to Xero “ I thank you again for your help. I know no bug comes this far without a very good reason to. What can I do to help?”

“I have a very big request of you, Seer. I have lost a family member very close to me. I know for sure she is dead, and I believe a sleeping sickness took her; and the King is not doing anything to help us.” Xero bowed his head, and took a few deep breaths. “ I need you to perform her final rites without her body. I will then take my leave.”

“Have peace then, as we will give her the rites rightfully hers.”

* * *

The Blue Lake stretches out before them, endlessly calm. The moths and Xero gather on the shores, mindful of the quiet.  
The Seer walks around, her steps barely disturbing the sand. She solemnly holds a white candle in her hand, the only one lit. 

Xero is the first one to step up to her, holding the only candle, and lighting it.

“She was a dear sister to me. She was the gentlest bug I’ve ever known.”

“May she be remembered.” They all said in tandem. Their voices all together created a beautiful note, blending together.

Xero’s candle was placed on the water, and watched it drift away on the soft waves.

The moths stand with him, watching the little light bob up and down, flickering. Thistlewind and the vessel stand on both sides of him. Thistlewind braces his shoulder, while the vessel holds his hand.   
Neither of them mentions his silent tears, or the minute tremors of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I happy with this chapter? No. But I'm going to post it anyway so that this big chunk is done. Get ready for more plot happenings!  
[My own terrible sketch here!](https://cowardlyhorrorraven.tumblr.com/post/189898371353/art-under-the-cut-ch6-of-to-be-better-now)
> 
> Happy Holidays y'all.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

The Pale King would call them the Vessel, as if they didn’t have thousands upon thousands of siblings rotting in the Abyss. As if they were singular and made by him, shaped by nothing but his instructions.

The Vessel woke up with stiff, painful joints one day. Anxiety, not felt since the first year of living in the Palace gripped them. What if this was a sign that they were dying? They saw what happened with their sibling who were hatched and had too much or too little void in them. They didn’t want to dissolve into a puddle, or be blown away by the wind.

They sat on the edge of their bed, unmoving and tense when the Pale King came in. 

“Rise, my Vessel.” He gestured, and they rose. Movement hurt, it stretched their skin uncomfortably. The Pale King stepped closer, and lifted one of their arms upwards. He rotated their joints, making thoughtful sounds.

“You are ready to transform into your full potential.” The Vessel stared into the unblinking eyes of the king, unsettled. “I shall leave you undisturbed, until you are ready to fulfill your purpose.” With that, the King left the Vessel frozen in the middle of their room. 

The lock on the door clicked, locking them in their room. A few seconds later, bright light filtered through the cracks. The King must have sealed them in, to truly remain undisturbed.

Breathing hurt. They were trying to calm themselves, every part of them shaking and hurting. They felt heavy, every movement costing too much energy. Their chest felt like it would explode, their physical form too constricting.

They tried to open the door, a desperate little hope in them trying to get out before they had to spend even a second longer locked in. The handle didn’t work, the door remained sealed. They then banged on the wood, desperate to get out from the room that was home to many of their fears.

No one came to open the door.

They beat the door until their arms were so shaky that they couldn’t lift then, and then beat it some more. In the end, their efforts were all futile, nobody came to the rescue.

They slowly looked around, searching for a place to hide. The room was empty, other than their bed, the walls featureless, unblemished white. They curled up in one of the corners, instinctually forcing themselves to be as small as possible.

Void reached out from them, forming a protective layer around them. It wrapped around them, like the world’s most comforting blanket, like a hug they could enjoy unreserved.

They sunk deep inside their memories, ready to be reformed. Experiences, thoughts and feelings shaped their new form, one the best suited to the environment they grew up in.   
Memories rose to the surface of their thoughts, and they dove in, greedy to escape their imprisonment.

* * *

Training with Ogrim, in the first few weeks was the best fun they’ve ever had. He had a boisterous laugh, contagious and carefree. 

“Extend your arm completely back! This way!” He demonstrated a proper throwing form, and grabbed one of the balls prepared. “Look, it’s done like this!” 

Vessel tried their best, and threw a ball as far as their little arms could.

Whenever they hit a target, a light, bubbly feeling filled their chest. It felt like they were glowing from the inside, and they had to tap their feet a little. Just carefully, to not draw attention.

“Good! Good job, Vessel! Now try again!”

* * *

Another morning of following the King around. They were exhausted from training for days, and they wanted nothing more than rest. The King glided along the halls, uncaring that Vessel had to scramble to keep up.

They made their way to the White Lady’s gardens. It was full of glowing vines that mimicked plants, home to the glowing apparations, that pretended to be bugs of some kind. Every step of the King and Vessel released another flock of the not-bugs, the air filled with the wingbeats. 

“My King!” Sounded the White Lady’s cheerful voice. “How thoughtful to visit me in my gardens.”

“My Lady, it is truly my pleasure to see you.” Answered the King. 

“Why do you insist on taking that thing with you?” The Pale King turned towards Vessel, but stopped the movement. The White Lady fixed her gaze towards the horizon, her back to them.

“If it truly bothers you, I shall escort them to my workshop. I wanted to see you before I start the work for today.”

“No, it may stay while you are with it. But I do not wish to see this mockery of a child any more than necessary.”

Silence descended, as the rulers of Hallownest stood together. 

Vessel stood slightly behind the pair, keeping just out of sight. They disliked being watched, and wanted to avoid any attention from either of the creatures. Being willfully ignored was almost just as good as being hidden somewhere.

* * *

The King, at first was intensely curious about them.

What made them succeed where others have failed? If they came from an egg with others, why had none of them were truly hollow?

Sometimes, they would notice the King doubting their emptiness. The doubt would always be swept away, but it was there. It made them scared to move, the fall back into the Abyss still too vivid in their mind.

* * *

Training with the knights was exciting. They always worked hard to succeed, but when they did, a great deal of praise was heaped on them.  
Isma, Ogrim and Ze’mer were the ones to focus most on Vessel’s studies. The others were sent to different parts of Hallownest, and spent little time at the Palace.

Isma was patient and nice, teaching them how to form thorns that would erupt from the ground. That move always took a lot of concentration, their grasp on soul magic a little slippery. She would slip them candied fruits after an exhausting lesson, and so they tried harder and harder to please her.  
Ze’mer knew plenty about plants, the ones growing in and out Hallownest. Her true strength lies in poisons, and she would travel often. She gave a few lessons to them, as the King focused more on their physical training.

* * *

However, during the night, when all the bugs were asleep, Vessel would remain wide awake. Nerves were too strong with exhaustion, and they wandered along the winding halls of the White Palace.

In the quiet, their steps sounded loud, even the smallest of breath was a shout. They listened, and watched, tense, constantly on alert.

The first few times, they would pace the corridor where their room was, a hundred times each night, before they collapsed in the bed. As time passed, and their confidence and skills grew, they started to wander further and further out.

They knew every nook and cranny in the White Palace, and they knew everyone’s schedule by heart. This allowed them to walk along in hiding, escaping scrutiny if they needed.

They couldn’t stand being locked in. It reminded them of their siblings, being sealed in the Abyss, and their captivity in the claws of the King. Their room was bleak, and had nothing to distract them from their thoughts.

Is there anyone alive left in the Abyss? Could they go back and free their siblings still?

* * *

Greenpath changed colours again. It was time for all apprentices to graduate to be a true follower of Unn. During the ceremony, they would all receive their names, and that was what the child was looking forward to the most.

They threw their nail down in front of them, and sat down to take a break. The other apprentices practiced their nail fighting skills, the clank of metal meeting metal singing through the training grounds.

They kept a lookout for Quirrel, as they invited him to the ceremony. Well, Quirrel asked to be invited, as only families of the trainees were allowed to witness the ceremony, and so the records of it in the Archives were lacking.

The two kept up with each other, the apprentice sneaking down to the Archives every winter, when the training was stopped. Quirrel was like family to them, and Monomon a second teacher.

“Apprentice!” One of the Mossknights, Nivalis, calls out to them. “If you have finished, then go and help with the preparations.” They nod, and make their was to the lakeshore. 

The old temple is bustling with knights, citizens and pilgrims alike. Garlands of gently tinkling flowers were being hung on poles, and tables of food set up in long rows.   
Datura, an elderly pilgrim catches the apprentice around their scruff and enlists them in carrying food to the tables. They do many circles, the food bountiful and plenty. They put bowls of candied fruits, dried meats and sheets of salted algae out. Datura had a keen eye out for the food, stopping any attempts of the little ones for sneaking food out.

Families slowly trickled in from all of Hallownest. There were a lot of bugs from the City of tears, forming a dark blue patch among the green cloaks of the pilgrims.  
The squires lined up at the pier, facing out to the green water of the Lake of Unn.

The vessel craned their necks to look around in the crowd, trying to spot Quirrel in the crowd. He was towards the back, and gave a little wave when he noticed the apprentice staring. They were glad to see him there, the familiar face giving them a little reassurance in the sea of strangers. 

The Elder knight walked up to a makeshift platform in front of everyone, and gave a small bow A hush fell onto the crowd, all attention shifting to the speaker. She stayed unmoving under the weight of everyone’s gaze.

“It is my great duty for everyone gathered here to venerate the great light that guides us. The way of the pilgrim on which the younglings are about to embark is a long, winding road, but our generous God in Green will always accept all of us. Unn protects the weak, guides the lost and feeds the hungry. Bow now, Apprentices, and walk forward. I will bestow your name to you, and with it, the duties to help, guide and protect Greepath for Unn, until her return.”

One by one, they all line up, and accept their new name. The vessel is the first one, walking a little unsteady across the pier. Tension knots their stomach, as they approach the Elder.

“The first Apprentice. Will you accept your duty and your name as Aspen?”

They accept their new name gracefully, with a bowed head. Aspen. They form the word in their mind, tasting the new name. Aspen. A good name for a good pilgrim knight, a follower of Unn.

A cheer rises up to the top of the cavern, echoing and doubling back. Fifteen new Knights of the Green were celebrated that night, with food aplenty, and no worries in sight. Families embraced, laughter filled the air, and not a shadow of danger passed over any of the attendees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Named vessels: 2  
Unnamed vessels: 3  
For clarification: Aspen is the Greenpath vessel, and the Vessel is an OC.
> 
> I'm pretty happy where this ended up. What do you think?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
